Port shutdown averted as NSC wades into maritime workers, shipping lines face-off

The planned port shutdown by maritime workers under the aegis of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), which was scheduled to commence on Monday, October 30, 2023 (tomorrow), has been put on hold following the intervention by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) in the lingering face-off between the maritime workers and the shipping lines over the minimum standard of service for workers in the shipping sector.

Recall that the MWUN issued a statement declaring a shutdown of the ports nationwide over the refusal of the shipping lines to implement agreed decisions taken at a truce meeting held over the minimum standard of service for workers.

Speaking exclusively with the Nigerian Tribune, the President-General of the MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, said that the NSC has called for a meeting to be held on Tuesday, so plans to embark on a strike have been put on hold for now.

“We have been called by the NSC to a meeting with the shipping lines on Tuesday this week. Until then, our strike action has been put on hold.

“Whether we will go on strike or not will be determined by the outcome of that meeting,” MWUN President-General Adewale Adeyanju told the Nigerian Tribune on Sunday.

The Shipping Lines, during a briefing at the weekend, had asked the maritime workers not to go on strike in the interest of the Nigerian economy.

Chairman of the Shipping Line Associations, Boma Alabi, said at the press conference that the shipping companies have repeatedly reminded the MWUN that SAN members do not encompass the totality of employers in the maritime sector and that despite that, SAN has been engaging with the MWUN on certain improvements to terms and conditions for employees.

She said several enhancements have already been tabled and that dialogue is ongoing, with the most recent meeting having been on September 29, 2023.

“It should also be noted that the MWUN seeks to impose “minimum standards of employment,” while the members of SAN, who seem to be repeatedly singled out in the media and public statements by the MWUN, consider existing terms and conditions for SAN member company employees to be significantly above any so-called “minimum standards” already.

Yet we remain open to discussions on sustainable proposals.

In recent weeks, many companies have provided additional palliatives to staff to cushion the effects of fuel price hikes and other inflationary pressures affecting all Nigerians.

“A strike in the ports at this delicate time is a strike against every single business, worker, and consumer in Nigeria, not simply against shipping companies.

“Many of our members are significant investors in the port and logistics sector in Nigeria, creating thousands of jobs and helping to enhance and improve competitiveness and investment opportunities for businesses in the country.

“At a time when Nigeria needs investment to create growth and opportunities for employment, we consider a call to shut down the United Nations ports to be wholly inappropriate.

The welfare of employees is a matter of utmost importance to members, and we remain open to constructive dialogue through the existing Technical Committee of Employers and MWUN, which is chaired by the Nigerian Shippers Council.

“Attached is a schedule of the meetings we have held so far with the MWUN, which belies the unfounded accusation of a “lackadaisical” attitude on our part,” Boma Alabi stated.

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